ILOILO City – San Isidro, Jaro barangay captain Ronela Juaneza has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to nullify the City Council’s decision suspending her for six months.
The suspension was based on allegations of irregularities in the release of public funds.
In a memorandum submitted to the Office of the President, Juaneza’s legal counsel, Ruby Ann Cabayao, argued that the accusations lacked legitimate grounds and amounted to political persecution.
Councilor Rex Marcus Sarabia, chair of the City Council’s Blue Ribbon Committee, led the investigation, which found Juaneza administratively liable for three counts of misconduct in office and dishonesty.
These include the violation of Republic Act (RA) 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act, and RA 7160 (the Local Government Code of the Philippines)
The case stemmed from complaints by several residents — Eugenio Bolivar, Cheryl Maralit, Ruby Gallano, Rene Dimasu-ay, and Zenith Rigby.
They accused Juaneza and barangay treasurer Janette Gacuma of violating procurement laws and releasing public funds without competitive bidding.
Specific expenditures questioned include the P94,122.32 for office supplies; P365,488 for well-milled rice; P235,660.72 for drugs and medicines for senior citizens, and encashment of checks for barangay operating expenses.
Juaneza’s defense
Juaneza denied all allegations, describing them as baseless and politically motivated. She claimed her political opponents were retaliating against her after she filed graft charges against her predecessor for P1.8 million in unliquidated funds.
In her appeal, Juaneza argued that the City Council failed to secure a majority vote to determine the sufficiency of the evidence.
The village chief said the summons were issued by the Blue Ribbon Committee chair, not the full City Council, violating procedural rules.
She claimed that the Council prematurely deemed her guilty of splitting contracts even before conducting a proper investigation.
Juaneza also argued the committee report was undated and submitted after the Council had already acted on it.
She also lamented the delays in submitting a written report or draft decision that violated the 30-day rule in the 2017 Rules of Procedure.
Juaneza argued that these procedural lapses and the alleged partiality of the Council rendered the entire process a “sham.”
Juaneza has asked the Office of the President to nullify the suspension order, reverse the City Council’s decision, and reinstate her as barangay captain.
She pointed out that the proceedings were marred by irregularities, political motivations, and violations of her constitutional right to a speedy disposition of her case./PN
